Vegetable garden: what should you do in your greenhouse as winter approaches?

The days are getting shorter and shorter and the temperature is dropping day by day. You're picking your last vegetables of the summer: peppers, aubergines...You'll soon have finished your preserves for the approaching winter and you're putting the brakes on planting. Yet, despite the approaching winter, there's still plenty of work to be done in the garden, what's more, if you have a greenhouse.

What are the advantages of a greenhouse in winter?

The size of your greenhouse will depend on the size of your garden and how you use it. You'll find tunnel greenhouses that are spacious and allow a nice planting area. Their price remains affordable. For a bigger budget, you can invest in a polycarbonate greenhouse, a plastic greenhouse or a glass greenhouse. The price will depend on the surface area of the product you choose, as well as the type of material it's made from. The price will quickly pay for itself when you can enjoy vegetables and even flowers in winter. After all, your greenhouse will protect your plants from a harsh winter, and shelter even your coldest plants. As well as providing protection against the cold, pests such as slugs and snails, as well as diseases, are less likely to occur. In fact, a greenhouse protects your plants from ambient humidity, which can encourage the appearance of fungi such as mildew.

A good clean before winter

If you've grown them in a greenhouse, you'll still be lucky enough to enjoy vegetables like tomatoes and courgettes. But, some of your plants will no longer produce, so it's time to remove them to make way for new vegetables. You'll need to aerate the soil before your new plants can take their place. If some of your plots are left empty, you can top them up with manure and shredded plants, or lay a carpet of dead leaves to prepare the soil for your next planting. If you have plants that need protecting from harsh winters, you can put them in a cold greenhouse. This is particularly true of citrus fruit, which cannot withstand sub-zero temperatures for several days. You can clean your planting material and find a place for it in your shelter. With water and black soap, wash your growing tables.

Planting for winter

September and October are busy months. You can start planting winter vegetables, especially leafy greens. You can plant cabbage, lamb's lettuce, chard and spinach. If you like soups and stews, you can also plant leeks and turnips. These are winter vegetables par excellence. Then there are all the varieties of lettuce that can be planted until mid-November. These include escarole, lettuce, endive and romaine lettuce. You can also plant a few artichokes, as well as onions and shallots. You can start sowing spring vegetables such as broad beans and peas. Protected from the cold, they will flourish until they are ready for harvesting. Vegetable gardening continues despite the onset of winter. The vegetables may be different, but the pleasure remains the same.